Page 3 of Lost to Thievery
My nerves were fried. I was a mess.
I looked towards the voice. Shaun.
Gods.
I jumped to my feet, ready for whatever he and the serious-looking Wesley behind him was about to do to me. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be worse than what I’d already endured. I’ve already paid for my sins against Charles and his men tenfold. His son couldn’t do much worse than what Grayson had done to me.
How did he know about this place anyway?
“You fucking bitch!” Shaun spat as he reached me. I flinched, bracing for impact as he lifted his hand towards me. It came down across my face, pain instantly blooming across my cheek as my head snapped to the side. Everything went dark for a second, but the adrenaline shooting through my veins quickly brought me back to reality.
I suddenly had the urge to laugh. It seemed like Grayson had held back the day he’d slapped me across the face like this. It hadn’t been nearly as painful then. And Grayson was a hell of a lot bigger than Shaun.
I caught a flash of Shaun’s hand, getting ready to strike again, but it never came down on me. I peered up to see Agent Becket blocking the punch, then swiftly push Shaun away, making his back collide with the wall on the other side of the passage. Becket stepped between us. He reached to his side and unclipped his gun in a swift, practiced motion as Shaun lunged for me again.
“Do it, you piece of shit! Come on! Give me afuckingreason,” he barked at Shaun.
Shaun hesitated as he stared down the barrel of Owen’s gun. A swarm of agents took them to the ground. Wesley went willingly without a struggle, but Shaun fought to keep his hateful stare on me.
“What the fuck is she doing here?!” Shaun screamed, spittle flying from his mouth, as he careened his neck towards me, veins popping in his red face. “Why’s she not in prison?”
I backed away from the chaos in front of me, pushing my back against the opposite wall, not able to look away at the hate in Shaun’s eyes.
“My father, Ava!” he screamed raggedly at me again, as they placed the cuffs around his wrists. The hurt in his voice summoned the tears I had thought were all used up by now.
What have I done?
Charles might have deserved to die, but Shaun didn’t deserve to lose a father. How many of those other men had children?
Their lifeless bodies, soaked in blood swam beneath my lids, drowning me.
Gods, what have I done?
“You…” His broken word ended in a groan as they yanked him off the ground. He struggled to keep me in sight as they dragged him away. A man who had once loved me, looked at me with such hate that I wanted to die. Ideservedto die. For what I’d done to him. And all the other children I didn’t even know about.
“If he’s dead, Ava! I swear to God, I will fucking kill you! I will kill you!” he bellowed down the passage, until he couldn’t see me anymore.
Ava
Thewavesrockedmeback and forth on my board, as I stared into nothing. My body was tired from surfing for nearly six hours, but I couldn't make myself get out of the water. The chaos of the waves drowned out the chaos in my head. Bentley Cove was known for its insane waves. Most surfers stayed out of the water during high tide. Me included, but not today. I took those deadly waves on, without an inch of fear.
I had nothing left to fear.
It’d been three months since Becket dropped me off in front of my and Rachel’s cottage. Three months of crying myself to sleep. Three months of screaming myself awake.
And three months of utter quiet. There was no sign of them. They had vanished.
I’d have thought myself crazy for thinking they ever existed, if not for the man that followed me around, day in and day out. I haven’t seen the man, but Becket assured me of his presence. Sent by the people I once considered my family. Sent to be the eyes and ears of the devil that had stolen my life. And then my soul.
I hated that devil. I hated him with every fibre of my soulless being. I hated him for what he’d taken from me. And I hated him for what he’d left me with—the mess and the memories.
And I yearned for him. In the quiet of the night, I begged the gods for just one more minute with him. To feel his warm, hard body mould against mine.
To feel his warm blood pool over my hand when I bury my nails deep into his heart before ripping it out of his chest.
I leaned forward and dipped my head under water, screaming out my rage and agony until I had no air, and no feelings left in me.
For a split second, I wondered if it was even worth taking another breath, if it wouldn’t be easier to just stay like this, but I quickly shot back up.
